DisclaimerNone of these characters are mine, they're still owned by their originating companies, and no legal infringement is intended. If you need to contact me, please use my standard email address as per my profile.

Macross Frontier

8:10

By

Raymond Cooper

The following takes place between 8.10 and 8.11 on the final morning to hand in the final Drama assessment.

8:10:00

"I can't believe you're so dense, Alto-Hime," Michael sighed, shaking his head. The two were only a few minutes from school, bags held nonchalantly over their shoulders as they walked. Oblivious to the conversation beside them was Luca, his eyes distant as he spied Nanase up ahead of them. She was looking around, concerned, but Alto missed it completely.

Little missed Michael's eyes, though, when it came to women, and his knowing smile deepened. It wasn't something common to see Nanase without Ranka on a school day – at least, one where Ranka had the full day off from her work duties.

Alto looked up, but not seeing anything before him. "I –" His phone chirped, and he reached into his pocket to pull it out.

8:10:07

He checked the holographic display on the front as it sprang into life. "Ranka?" he asked aloud, before accepting the call and placing the phone to his ear. "Ranka?" he repeated.

8:10:12

Her voice sounded a little weak on the other end of the line. "Alto-kun, I know i don't deserve it, but can I ask a favour from you?"

8:10:18

Ranka was wrapped up in bed, pale and sweating. She'd woken up earlier in the morning, and had started to get ready for school before feeling the effects of staying up late at a mall opening the night before. One of the many duties of a lower-ranked idol, Ranka had been there singing and dancing until one in the morning, and had apparently caught a chill. Once she awoke and realised that she was ill, and unable to battle bravely through the morning at least, she had collapsed back into bed.

Now, she sat hugging her pillow to her chest as she imagined Alto there with her instead of on the other end of the phone. "It's our assignment, Alto-kun. I won't make it to school today. Could you hand it in for me?"

8:10:29

"Where are you?"

"I'm at home, sick." She coughed for effect, pulling her pillow tighter to herself and imagining it was Alto's manly chest she was crushing against her.

Of course, particularly in her illness, Ranka's view of Alto was much more manly than the reality. He stood superhumanly above the rest of the male population... well, aside from her manly older brother. But her brother wasn't as yummy as Alto, and wasn't as supportive of her singing.

Alto sighed deeply into the phone. Ranka coughed again.

8:10:37

"I'll be there in a couple of minutes. Have it ready for me, will you?" Alto snapped his phone off.

"What are you doing?" Michael asked.

"Ranka's sick," Alto replied. "She wants me to take her assignment in."

"Oh," Michael said, turning away and grinning out of sight of Alto's gaze as the other slipped his phone back into his pocket and turned back the way they came. "What shall I tell the lovely Sheryl?"

"You're the one good with women; you think of something to tell her," Alto replied, before jogging back up the street.

8:10:55

Quickly, as Alto left earshot, Michael pulled out his own phone and hit an auto-dial button. It was picked up almost immediately by a breathless woman. "I have something you might want to know..."

8:10:59..

8:11:00

To be continued...

MACROSS CANON: Well, time for something new. Frontier's finally finished, and the story I've been wanting to write since halfway through the series can now spill out. Hope everyone enjoys it! My intention is to write this and release a chapter a day. Or that's the idea, anyway. Either way, it's something different to try and have fun with.